Breast Cancer Risk and Screening Mammography Frequency Among Multiethnic Women

Barriers to Mammography Screening among Black Women at a Community Health Center in South Florida, USA

“…20 Black women are particularly vulnerable because they have a higher incidence of early onset breast cancer and those diagnosed before age 50, have twice the death rate from breast cancer compared to White women 37 . While the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommend screening mammograms beginning at age 50 for average-risk women; 35,38 these guidelines may be putting Black women at a disadvantage as they are more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer at younger age with advanced stage breast cancer, and with a 40% higher mortality rate compared to White women. 5,39 In fact, a recent study found that 23% of breast cancers in Black women occur before age 50, thus making it essential for healthcare providers to educate younger Black women about breast cancer, assess their risk, and to facilitate timely and consistent practice of annual mammograms.…”

“…Several organizations recommend mammography screening beginning at age 40, and providers at our CHC use these guidelines when identifying and referring women for mammograms. 35 EHR documentation showed that some of these women had not received care at the CHC since 2016 and may have been lost to follow-up, whereas others were given the script to have a mammogram by a healthcare provider but did not receive mammograms due to possible system-level barriers. At the time of the medical record review, women who could not afford to have a mammogram could have received support under the Florida Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, which offers free or low-cost screenings for women who meet eligibility criteria; however, women may have encountered delays in getting into a mammogram facility due to the limited access to free mammograms sites or personal barriers they encountered.…”